15-Stage compact Marx generator using 2N5551 avalanche transistors

In this contribution, we present a 15-stage, avalanche transistor Marx generator using inexpensive 2N5551 transistors. It can be used in low-power biomedical, environmental and food applications where compact circuits to generate high-voltage pulses are required. We characterized the avalanche transistors and built a test setup with 15 stages which provides 1.3-kV pulses into a 50 Ohm load and over 3-kV into a small capacitive load (such as a small plasma reactor). Furthermore, by optimizing placement of starting capacitances, the rise time of the circuit could be adjusted to just under 2 ns, which can still be further optimized.